


An Apple A Day

by endlesstalesofwonder



Series: One Word Prompts [7]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Employees, F/M, Flirting, Human AU, M/M, Mystery man, Secret Admirer, mall, quick fic, sibling discussion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-06 19:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15202052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlesstalesofwonder/pseuds/endlesstalesofwonder
Summary: You know what they say, an apple a day makes the pretty man stay? No?





	An Apple A Day

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of the blue. I remembered a scene on TV that said eating an apple indicated a good kisser and so forth. Plus, I love malec origin stories. Enjoy!
> 
> Word: Apple

The Idris Mall was one of the worst places to go to during the summer simply because it was not all that interesting. The carousal was broken – had been for years now. There were small “playgrounds” placed in the middle of the paths through the building, but those too were beyond years of love and play. The doghouse in one had a chunk of plastic missing off the roof. The dinosaur at the other had been vomited on at least three times in its life, and everyone thought it was cursed.

The actual stores weren’t all too bad, so long as you get what you need and get out quickly. The employees all hated their jobs, but at least they were being paid. Those who had similar schedules found themselves sharing the same table in the food court, gossiping and sharing the latest news about their neighbor with the others.

Alec, who worked at the sports center and training, was always there first. He sat at the head of their table so that he had the right angle to watch customers and his fellow co-workers. There was always the same figure, sitting and reading a newspaper, in the corner near the theatre. He would always be there the same time Alec was, and Alec always sought him out upon taking his seat. It was hard to notice, but Alec could see the small hint of glitter around his eyes, reflecting off the poor “prison lights” – as they liked to call them – that hung from the ceiling.

As his friends sat down around him, he was brought back to reality. They talked about how the shop on the north corner had been removed, again, and was being replaced with one of those hip sushi bars that have the conveyer belts. Alec made a note to try it one day – should it last longer than a week.

Throughout their brief hour, his friends started to dwindle, leaving Alec alone with his sister, Isabelle.

“They say that the way someone eats an apple correlates to them being a good kisser.”

“What?”

Isabelle had perched herself next to him, finishing the last of her own lunch as he did to his own, and of all things he could have tuned in on, it was _that._

“It’s true,” another voice chimed from his other side. Jace bit into an apple, rather loudly, himself. “Speaking from experience, of course.”

“How about not speaking with your mouth full,” Isabelle countered, chucking a grape at their brother. “Pig.”

“Why the sudden information?” Alec asked, still stunned.

Isabelle curved, turning in closer to him. “Don’t look – _I said don’t look –_ your ten o’clock. There’s a man that’s been staring at you the whole time we’ve been here.”

Alec knew better than to look, and tried to do so without actually _looking,_ however, Jace turned his entire body – and _chair –_ to get a better look at the mystery man.

“Where?” he asked, mouth full of fruit.

Alec finally turned. His mystery man was still there, newspaper gone and replaced with an apple. His gaze was turned downwards towards whatever lay there, and every so often he would correct himself from looking up – presumably to avoid being caught staring.

Isabelle’s manager, _Steve,_ came over wearing the same black hat he always wore, interrupting them. “Lunch break’s over. Get back to work.” So they did.

The next few days went by too fast. Alec tried to look for the man across the food court, but there were too many people, his friends interrupted him, or he simply wasn’t there. The whole week Alec picked at his food, disinterested with anything and everything that his friends were talking about.

It was after a long, beloved weekend that Alec sensed something was up. When he greeted his friends at their respective stores, they kept their welcomes brief, clipped. They were entirely cold and distanced, but it settled unevenly in Alec’s stomach.

Lunch came. Alec sat at the same table, in the same chair, and waited. Alec started to pick at his food when a figure grew closer on his right. “What’s been going on with you –” Alec looked up. “Guys.”

His friends weren’t there. It was the man.

He looked even better up close. He was dressed up far better than they were, of course, as Alec was still wearing his tight workout clothes. Alec had been right about the glitter. There was a soft gold eyeshadow dusted on and around his eyes that made the dark irises glow.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” The man smiled brightly.

“Sit?” Alec offered. If one worded answers were going to keep coming out of his mouth, this conversation was going to die very quickly.

“As much as I would love to, I can’t,” The man shook his head, “I have to get back to work.”

He worked here, was all Alec processed. “You have another twenty minutes.”

Something other than gold dust glittered in those eyes. The man propped an arm up on his hip. “You know my schedule?”

A simple question, indeed, but it just buried Alec six feet under the mall. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish. The man laughed, and it was a blessing to escape from being embarrassed any further by what may have come from Alec’s mouth.

“I’m covering for someone, but it’s good to know I’ve been noticed.” How could Alec _not_ notice him? “On another note, I thought maybe we could have lunch.”

“Good – Sounds good – Yes,” Alec scrambled. Another laugh. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” the man confirmed. “Until then, Alec.”

“How –” The man pointed to his chest, undoubtedly to where he was sporting his name on a silver badge. “Oh.”

Alec bashfully rubbed at the back of his neck, a hot flush spreading across his cheeks. The man smiled. With a turn of his heel, he started on his way towards the center of the mall.

“Wait!” Alec called after him. “What – Where –”

“Magnus,” the man called back, knowing the questions Alec had poorly completed. Alec repeated his name over and over in his head, even rolling the letters around in his mouth. “And there are only a few stores here. I’m sure you can figure out where I work, pretty boy.” Then, he left.

There are only a _few_ stores? There were at least a hundred, and that included the little stands scattered about every corner and small square section they could fit their merchandise. It was going to take _forever._

Alec slammed down his lunch and took the remaining time to search for Magnus – however long it takes.

**Author's Note:**

> For more drabbles, check out my tumblr: endlesstalesofwonder


End file.
